Immigrant found in van in Wolverhampton with stolen goods.

An immigrant was receiving stolen goods in the back of a van within days of arriving in the Black Country, a court heard.

Jason Stokes

Jason Stokes, 22, moved his wife and one-year-old son from Eire to Blakeley Hall Road, Oldbury.

But by his third day in the country he was in the back of a van used by Eddie and John McDonagh on April 12 when power tools and a camera were taken from vehicles parked outside businesses in Wolverhampton.

Mr Tariq Khan, defending, said: “He came here for work but it did not go quite so well.

He had been in the country two or three days when he committed these offences.

“Eddie was driving the van, John was a passenger and Jason was in the back. Jason accepts by his pleas he knew the items brought into the van were stolen.”

They were rumbled when a witness saw one of them leaning out a van parked ‘very close to office vehicles’ and called police, Mrs Hilary Peters, prosecuting, said.

Stokes was fined £140 by Wolverhampton magistrates after he admitted dishonestly receiving a £524 Samsung digital camera and Makita power tools. He was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

John McDonagh, 30, also of Blakeley Hall Road, pictured above, admitted attempted theft from a motor vehicle and to dishonestly receiving power tools.

He was ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work and pay £85 court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.